Blow-up your amp with Music U.K.

Yes folks, it's demolish your solid state pride and joy time as we print, for the first time anywhere in the civilised World, MUSIC U.K.'s exclusive guide to the best five ways to wreck your amp! Love the smell of sizzling silicone? Get your rocks off on fried fingers? Really hate your bass player? Read on and remember; follow these rules and you're safe. Break the rules and (at worst) that lovely new pride and joy over there could be buried with you in the local graveyard!

1/ Never replace fuses with anything other than the correctly rated fuse. At best you'll burn out your amp — at worst you'll learn how to pogo the really terminal way.

2/ Don't use defective speaker leads. Squashed leads, or leads which terminate in faulty plugs and duff connections can do wonders for the replacement amp business! Carry fresh speaker leads all the time. Check old ones for correct functioning. (In issue 10 we reviewed the Crosswires and Faultfinder lead/plug testers — you should be using them now!).

3/ Always load your transistorised amp correctly. Most amps deliver their load into 8 ohms — a few can take 4 ohms. Add extra speakers and you can bring the impedance right down to 4 or even 2 ohms which is a fine way of causing overheating. Extra speakers should only be added when you've checked with an expert (dealer/repairer or manufacturer) that it's safe to do so. Follow instructions with a new amp — seek advice on a secondhand model.

4/ Always allow your amp the ventilation it needs. Don't lay a jacket on the top of your amp. Beware of placing your amp against stage curtains or stacking several amps together, thus restricting air circulation.

5/ Avoid using faulty speakers. Off-centre cones have been known to jam resulting in the coil acting as an open circuit. Check your speakers regularly to make sure that they are working properly.

Many thanks to John Cooper from Pro-Amp for his invaluable notes on this subject.

ANGELS GUITAR SIGN

Following the listing of guitar repairmen in our Issue 14, we've heard from Gibson expert Robin Gladwell (a builder we can personally vouch for!) that he is now working with John Oakes in Colchester, Essex.

Robin has tremendous experience with Gibsons (he was their U.K. expert for several years before they departed the U.K. and handed the distribution over to Rosetti and Co.) and he is currently offering everything from re-frets to custom building, all electrical work, re-builds on broken guitars, refinishing and a whole range of specialist services.

Further details from Angel Guitars: (Contact Details).

SHURE ON THE MOVE

Readers with an interest in microphones (which should be most of you), requiring information on the Shure range of products may like to know that H.W. International (formerly Shure Electronics) has recently moved it's operation into London.

Their new address and telephone number are: (Contact Details).

ROSE MORRIS LAUNCH CLARION

Rose-Morris have just announced their appointment as U.K. distributors for the Clarion Home Recording and Music Products. The Clarion system is 4-track cassette, offering an incredible range of in-built facilities, i.e. echo, stereo graphic equaliser, rhythm unit, 30:30 stereo amplifier and connections for external effects. Further details from Rose-Morris & Co., (Contact Details).

U.K. GUITARS FROM DEEP SOUTH

The list of British guitar craftsmen turning instruments as good as any in the world continues to grow, ans the photo of a superb-looking 'Strat' from Melvyn Hiscock, from Hampshire shows.

Melvyn has been making fine axes for several years now and has considerable experience, gained from working as a set-up for two of the better-known guitar importers in London and has developed a considerable reputation in his home territory for both custom guitars and basses as well as repairs.

The guitar shown features just one humbucker pickup and Melvyn tells us that it's one of Kent Armstrong's, apparently he too feels that Kent is turning out some of the best pickups on the market today, an opinion which we'd be inclined to share. Soon to be coming from this maker is a brand new passive bass, followed by an active powered model. The bass will offer a through-neck construction with a maple core faced with various luxury woods. Machine heads and bridges will be Schallers and the pickups, yes, you've guessed it, Kent's Rainbow models. The bass is currently in the prototype stage and should be ready in a couple of month's time — at which point we plan to be reviewing it.

In the meantime, readers needing repairs or alterations (or in the market for a hand-made guitar) can contact Melvyn at (Contact Details).

Rickenbacker's back

Following a period when Rickenbacker guitars and amps were not being officially imported into the U.K. a new company is currently being set-up to handle these well-loved products once again. Called Golico Ltd. the firm is to be headed by ex-Northern Sales Manager for Harman U.K. Bob Goleniowski and we understand that Bob and his team hope to have initial shipments of Rickenbacker guitars and amps in the country by April, which means that readers will be beginning to see them, hopefully, shortly after.

In the meantime, anyone wanting further details can contact Golico Ltd. at (Contact Details).

I.M.S. - A HIGH SPOT FOR MUSICIANS

April 29th. is the opening date for what promises to be this year's high spot for musicians wanting the chance to see a lot of new gear (and more). That's the day of the International Music Show to be held at London's Alexandra Palace opens its gates. The show, destined to be this year's major opportunity to see displays from all areas of music, runs right over from April 29th to May 3rd and the organisers are promising that this year's show will certainly be something to remember. Already signed-up are companies like Capelle Drums, Keith Hand (who will be showing Gordon Smith guitars, Fylde acoustics, and other top products), Melanie Drums, guitar makers Bryn Hiscox, The Kincade Brothers, Manson Guitars and many others, Marshall amplification, Casio Electronics, Paiste Cymbals, the re-launched Stacatto drum, Music Sales, record companies such as Carrere plus numerous instrument and equipment retailers, music publishers, video and promotional companies plus the Radio One Road Show (who will be broadcasting live from the I.M.S. on Bank Holiday Monday) and the Capital Cruiser (which will be there on the Saturday and Sunday).

A season ticket enabling you to attend the show every day will cost you £5, tickets for the 29th (Friday) are £1.50 and the other days are at £2.00 per head. Opening hours are scheduled for 7 p.m. till 10.30 on the 29th. 10.30 a.m. till 10.30p.m. on the 30th, the same on the Sunday, 10.30a.m. till 9.00p.m. on the Monday and 10.30 till 1.00p.m. on the final day, Tuesday May 3rd. Musician's clinics are being organised by several of the exhibitors, notably Melanie and Paiste so far, and others look like they'll be following this lead. Furthermore, you'll actually be 3ble to buy instruments from some of the stands as both retailers and instrument makers will be selling their products.

MUSIC U.K. will be there, of course, and you'll be able to meet us and tell us what you think of the magazine.

We hope to be seeing many of our readers there this year — looks like it's going to be a lot of fun!

Readers wanting advance tickets or further information about the Show should contact the I.M.S. organisers at (Contact Details).

New Combo from Alligator

Alligator's range of low-priced high quality combos has been joined by a new 30 watt model, the Alligator 30, selling for £135.

The amp, like all Alligator units, handles guitar plus bass or keyboards and has a particularly clever facility in the form of a switch preshaping the equalisation to suit which type of instrument you're using with it. Bearing a high-efficiency Fane speaker, the little Alligator works very well (we've had a chance to try it and were highly impressed). Facilities include foot-switchable sustain (one of the better types we've tried to date), gain, low, mid and high, plus master volume, standby, plus sockets for D.I. 'out' and headphones. Further details of this remarkable little combo can be had from the makers, The Musician's Direct Supply Co. at (Contact Details).